Life Design
Simple Guidelines For Real Spiritual Growth
Spirituality is a wide-ranging concept with many diverse perspectives. In essence it is the process through which our inner being seeks to relate to something bigger than ourselves. It is the search for the meaning and purpose of our human existence.
Spirituality is about our soul or spirit, and the unseen realms, as opposed to material things and physical life. It is also the life-long pursuit of inner peace, unconditional love, and existential wisdom and understanding.
Many people believe that the secret to spiritual growth and development can only be found in a book, a lecture, dogmatic belief system, or some other product or service that will magically unlock the doors to spiritual insight, happiness, joy and fulfillment.
However, spirituality is a unique, personal path that each of us can explore on our own, from within. The following guidelines may be helpful on your journey towards spiritual fulfillment.
Reflection
The first step in personal spiritual growth is reflecting on your life journey. To be spiritual is to be questioning and inquisitive. Spiritual growth is a process of constantly learning and improving. One must be willing to open yourself to personal and spiritual growth, and by doing this your world opens up and things become less scary.
Holding on to past events keeps us from experiencing new adventures, and the emotional baggage will only weigh you down. Accept your past mistakes and learn from them. Reflect on what changes need to happen for you to move forward.
We are all teachers. We are either teaching someone, or they are teaching us – both good and bad. Learn from your experiences and move on with life.
Maybe This Is How We Mend Our World
I have certainly been trespassed against over the years, as I suspect you may have too: maligned, misunderstood, abused, betrayed. Many of us have been hurt and wounded.
For many of us lifetimes of pain also seem to rise to the surface now, as if this era has come to collect on both the debts and the blessings.
Some of my wounds in this lifetime occurred at a young and tender age, when there seemed to be no healing granted; when the best I could do then was retreat and lick my wounds alone. There was no wise elder at my side, no sacred ceremony to mark the grief, no balm from the spirit realms. Just the aching silence of pain, and the quiet hope that one day, perhaps, I would understand why.
Since that time so long ago, I have also seen much vindication. This ability to witness what I have called “the coming around of the going around,” hasn’t been only in seeing karmic issues resolved for little slights, but for big wounds as well.
I’ve watched as Spirit, with its own perfect timing, allowed clarity and closure to emerge…sometimes years later, sometimes through unexpected channels. There is a strange and sacred justice to the Universe that rarely moves on our schedule, but always, always moves.
Justice. Yes, always in the end. But what of forgiveness?
It all shifted for me when I came to know the ‘big picture’ in the powerful prayer, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us.” These words are not just religious rote, but an energetic key to spiritual evolution. Continue reading
End Of Year Moon And Crystal Energy Work
As the days shorten and the year moves toward its close, the moon’s energy becomes an even more potent ally for reflection, release, and new beginning.
The final months of this year is a powerful time deepen our relationship with lunar cycles and use crystal allies to support our inner work.
The moon acts as a mirror to our inner landscape. Its cycles guide our rhythm: the new moon beckons us to plant seeds, while the full moon calls us to release what no longer serves. When we intentionally pair lunar awareness with crystal work, we amplify our clarity, access intuition, and align with energies that support transformation.
I once worked with a university professor who, at the cusp of year’s end, felt fragmented by multiple obligations. During a full moon session, we guided her to sense what needed release, using amethyst for clarity and calm. As she held it and journaled, she relinquished projects that drained her energy and discovered space for a new creative initiative born of her deeper passion.
Another client, an actor, had endured months of stagnation in auditions. We chose a new moon moment to plant intentions. He carried citrine to boost confidence and attract aligned opportunities. As he remained intentional through the lunar cycle, his energy shifted…not from anxious striving, but from grounded authenticity. Soon after he landed a role that felt perfectly right!
Embracing The Dark Season With Isa And Jera
This time of year, when the air first sharpens and the trees begin to release their golden leaves, I feel a familiar stirring in my heart and soul.
Early fall has always been more than just a change of weather to me. It is a threshold, a sacred gateway that leads us from the brightness of summer into the deeper mystical wisdom of the dark season.
There’s a particular magic in this in-between time of the year…where light and shadow meet, and the veil between worlds begins to thin.
Fall is not merely an ending; it is an invitation inward. It asks us to reflect, to release, and to realign with the deeper currents that move through all things. Just as the trees surrender their leaves, we too are asked to let go of bad habits, limiting beliefs, or self-imposed burdens that no longer serve our highest path.
Our ancestors knew this well. They did not simply mark their calendars this time of year…to cover the pool or reorganize their closets, like we do. Instead, they were in deep sync with the rhythmic cycles of the year.
In the North, they honored the harvest with gratitude, they stored up sustenance for the long winter months ahead…and they carefully consulted the runes. The runes were for them living messages from the gods that spoke of fate, nature, and the mysteries of life.
As an spiritual advisor who works with the runes, I often remind my clients that these symbols are not relics of the past. They are very much alive, pulsing with energy, ready to guide us if we open ourselves to their voices.
All Hallows Month Is Ideal For Self-Reflection
I did a reading for a new client yesterday, and during the session, I kept hearing the word “roots.” I told her, “You should get back to your roots.” She confirmed right away that she’d been thinking about moving back to her hometown to be closer to her family and friends.
That got me thinking about how October is often a time to think about where we really belong in life and in the world. This season, we’re thinking about place, direction, and home. It is the ideal time to reflect on whether it’s maybe time for a change, or if we should return to our roots.
It also got me thinking more about my spiritual roots and ancestry. October is a time to think about our physical lives and the spiritual truths, values, and principles that have been passed down to us. Are we still following those principles? Are we living in a way that reflects the wisdom of those who came before us? This is the kind of reflection October brings out, encouraging us to reconnect with our roots and the bigger picture of where we’re headed.
October, also known as the All Hallows Month, has always had a special kind of magic about it. It has always been a big deal in many spiritual traditions, because it is seen as a kind of in-between month.
This month is a time when the physical and spiritual worlds feel closer to each other, synchronicities multiply, and messages from the unseen find their way more easily into our lives. It’s no coincidence that so many cultures honor the dead and celebrate the mysteries of life and death during this season.
Embrace The Transformative Power Of October
October is one of the most transformative months for anyone who works with intuition, energy, or spiritual guidance. As the leaves fall and the air begins to cool, the spiritual atmosphere seems to ‘heat up.’
This is the season of shadow and light coexisting, where transformation becomes not just possible, but necessary.
Nature herself models this beautifully. Trees release what no longer serves them without resistance. The days grow shorter, urging us inward. And the whispers from the other side grow louder, inviting us to deepen our trust in the unseen.
The veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is said to be thinner this time of year, making it easier to receive messages, notice synchronicities, and tap into your own inner knowing.
October is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and share our wisdom with others who may be feeling the energetic shifts.
This belief is not new. Across many cultures, October has long been seen as a threshold month. It is considered a liminal time when the unseen draws closer to the seen.
In Celtic and Pagan traditions, the end of October mark Samhain, the great harvest festival and the turning of the year. It is known as a sacred doorway between worlds, when the living can more easily connect with ancestors and the spirit realm. Fires are lit to honor the departed, and divination rituals practiced to glimpse what lay ahead.
Understanding How Men Fall In Love: Mind, Body & Soul
What makes a man fall in love head-over-heels? When does a guy go from casual interest, to “I want you in my life.” Maybe it’s timing. Maybe he’s been waiting for someone like you. Or maybe you’re way ahead of him.
But from what I’ve seen in thousands of psychic readings over the years, what really flips that switch is chemistry and connection. The way you look into his eyes. The way you listen to him like he’s the only person in the room. How you make him feel, and that sense that, in his arms, you belong.
It is not true that most men are obsessed with looks only. While an attractive appearance certainly helps to get things off the ground initially, this is not what men stick around for in the long term.
Some men are drawn to personality. Some to your kindness and tolerance towards others. Some are drawn to the way you think. Some to the scent of you. Some to that feeling that life without you would be boring. Sound familiar? Yes, the truth is, men and women want a lot of the same things: feeling important, wanted, accepted, appreciated.
A man will bond with you when he feels he can make you happy. When he knows you accept him fully. When he feels seen. Even the parts he hides! Because when he knows that, he gives himself to you: heart, mind, and soul.
There’s another myth that men like sassy women who “play hard to get,” as so often portrayed in Hollywood romcoms. That’s not it at all. What he does like is a woman who is secure in herself, who laughs easily, who keeps her own life going, who has her stuff together (not perfect, just real). And yes, attractive to him. But more than looks…she has backbone, presence, a rhythm of life.